Thomas primed to take advantage of surprise Giro gift
Evenepoel’s positive Covid test hands Welshman lead Team-mate Geoghegan Hart pressing hard in third place
Geraint Thomas said he was “not a betting man” but added that he was “feeling good” as he looks ahead to the final two weeks of a Giro d’italia he is unexpectedly leading.
Speaking from his hotel on the race’s first rest day, Thomas accepted that the dramatic withdrawal of pre-race favourite Remco Evenepoel, after testing positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, had handed him a huge opportunity to accomplish a lifelong goal in the autumn of his career.
And while the Welshman insisted he was not comfortable with labelling himself the new race favourite, he did say his legs were feeling good, and that he was looking forward to the challenge.
“I’m not a betting man,” Thomas said. “You know me. I don’t worry about all that sort of stuff – who is favourite and that – but we’re definitely in a strong position.”
Thomas leads a very tight general classification by just two seconds from Jumbo-visma’s Primoz Roglic, with Ineos Grenadiers team-mate Tao Geoghegan Hart a further three seconds back.
Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) at 22 seconds is also a “big threat”, according to Thomas, who said anyone in the top 10 was in with a chance, given the race was yet to hit the mountains proper.
“There’s a hell of a long way to go,” Thomas said. “The race is only just beginning. We’ve got at least five big, big mountain-top finishes to come. UAE [Team Emirates] are looking good with Almeida and the team behind him and also Jumbo and Roglic. Plus a few others as well.
“We’re definitely strong. But favourites or not? I don’t know. I’ll leave that to the bookies.”
Thomas said he would certainly be wearing the maglia rosa in today’s 10th stage of the race, to Viareggio in northern Tuscany. Riders have in the past declined to wear the leader’s jersey out of respect for a rider who has left the race in unfortunate circumstances. But Thomas said it would be an honour.
“I’ll definitely wear it with pride,” he explained. “It’s the first time I’ve worn the pink jersey. But at the same time it’s not really the way you want to take the jersey.”
Thomas added that he had been “shocked” to learn of Evenepoel’s positive test, via a message the world champion sent to him shortly before making the news public.
“It’s a huge disappointment for the race, and it might sound weird, but also for myself,” Thomas said. “I was looking forward to a real good GC battle with not just Remco and Roglic but everyone else as well.”
On how Ineos Grenadiers would manage the leadership, Thomas said he and Geoghegan Hart, who won the Giro in 2020, would remain “co-leaders” until such time as one of them proved to be the stronger rider.
“For sure, I’d be happy to help Tao if he’s better than me,” the Welshman said. “I’m pretty sure he would do the same thing.”
Thomas concluded by admitting that the opportunity to win the Giro, a race where he has at times seemed cursed, was “amazing”. The Welsh rider turns 37 on Thursday next week when the race is in the ski stations in the far north of Italy. But he added that, while he might be getting older, the legs were getting stronger.
“I did my best ever five-minute power on stage eight,” he disclosed. “So the legs are feeling pretty good. I’m feeling there or thereabouts. I think my experience is a big advantage. Just knowing myself and my body and how to judge my efforts and all that type of jazz.
“But I think our biggest strength is how everyone’s going in the team at the moment, not just the climbing guys but [Salvatore] Puccio and Swifty [Ben Swift] as well. So yeah, we’re in a strong position. We’ve got a few cards to play and hopefully that strength will be useful.
“It would be amazing [to win]. After 2020 I kind of thought that would be it for my chances to win the Giro. But whatever happens, happens. I’ve got the palmares [list of race victories] that I’ve got. I’d absolutely love to add to it, without a doubt. Let’s see.”